When he walked into this bar, the entire establishment seemed to become his stage.
He was the most dazzling star at the center of that stage, someone who seemed born to become the focus of every gaze.
If they had to describe him in words, he was a black swan radiating the intoxicating, dangerous allure of a poppy.
They had never imagined that this person could possibly be Sheng Xun’s boyfriend.
His boyfriend?!
Hua Shuming was the first to recover and speak. His voice carried both disappointment and enthusiasm.
“It’s fine, it’s fine! We were just sitting here looking at beautiful women and drinking. An hour and a half passes in the blink of an eye.”
“……”
Sheng Xun stood up and grabbed Su Qingyu, intending to pull him toward the back of the seating area.
However, Su Qingyu used a deft twist to slip his hand free. He then sat down on the sofa beside them.
“Aren’t we all friends here? Whatever you have to say, you can say it right here.”
His movements were easy and unhurried as he settled into the sofa, fitting seamlessly into the atmosphere of the bar as though he had always belonged there.
“Exactly. What could Sheng Xun possibly have to say that he can’t say in front of us?”
“Sheng Xun, this is where you’re being unreasonable. Are we outsiders or something?”
Sheng Xun ground his teeth and demanded, “Why are you dressed like this?”
Su Qingyu raised an eyebrow.
“Young Master Sheng, I came to a bar, not to meet a teacher. What, did you want me to dress up like a well behaved student?”
A sudden snort of laughter came from somewhere nearby.
Jiang Chu was different now.
Even though he had addressed Sheng Xun as “Young Master,” there was absolutely none of the obedient, compliant attitude that Sheng Xun was accustomed to seeing from him. Instead, his tone carried the confidence of someone standing above others, someone who had placed himself in a higher position.
Sheng Xun could put Jiang Chu on a pedestal but that did not mean he was willing to let Jiang Chu stand above him.
He was just about to speak when Hua Shuming interrupted.
“Sheng Xun, I didn’t realize you were this old fashioned. Your possessiveness is pretty strong too, huh? You even want to control what someone wears?”
Li Dongfeng chimed in as well.
“Sheng Xun, you’re the one being unreasonable here. Don’t ruin everyone’s mood.”
With his face darkened by displeasure, Sheng Xun sat back down.
“He’s not like this at school.”
This time, Su Qingyu didn’t even need to say anything. Hua Shuming immediately responded.
“You’re the one who said he’s like that at school. Sheng Xun, you need to pay attention to the occasion.”
Sheng Xun didn’t know how to explain it to them.
All he knew was that Jiang Chu was supposed to be the person he had carefully shaped him into being. His friends were supposed to see Jiang Chu that way, too. They were supposed to believe that was who Jiang Chu truly was.
That was how things were supposed to be.
But now, Jiang Chu had completely shattered the image Sheng Xun had created.
And what was worse, his friends were actually beginning to accept and admire this incorrect version of Jiang Chu.
How could that possibly be acceptable?
Sheng Xun said, “He likes wearing white shirts. He likes sweet, clean fragrances with a hint of moss. He likes dancing. Oh, he’s been learning dance recently. Classical dance.”
Su Qingyu lightly bit the rim of his glass, then smiled as he took another sip of wine.
Previously, a young celebrity had once clung to him in order to promote himself, claiming to be “Little Qingyu.”
The experience had disgusted him beyond words.
He had given that celebrity an opportunity, agreeing to act alongside him in a drama. He had continued performing in the same frame with him until he, his fans and even the audience could no longer bring themselves to say the words “Little Qingyu.”
Only now did he realize that being called “Little Qingyu” was nothing.
Being stripped of all sense of self and arranged into the shape of an entirely different person, that was the true insult.
He understood the tears Jiang Chu had shed on those nights even more deeply now.
A brilliant student carrying the hopes and dreams of his hometown, enduring the ridicule of everyone around him, had practically abandoned all sense of self respect just to be with someone yet that person had treated him as nothing more than a substitute without an identity of his own.
He had been expected to wear the clothes another person usually wore, keep another person’s hairstyle and use another person’s perfume whenever they went to bed.
That could only be called an insult.
Su Qingyu smiled and pretended to be unhappy.
“Sheng Xun, we’ve been dating for so long. How is it that you still don’t understand me?”
He spoke each word slowly and clearly.
“I hate white shirts more than anything. They’re stiff and boring. I don’t like mossy fragrances either. Those kinds of scents are more suitable as gifts for older relatives. I like aquatic fragrances. As for dancing…”
He smiled faintly.
“You haven’t even come to watch me learn how to dance, have you? How could I possibly be learning classical dance?”
527: 【Repentance value +2.】
Sheng Xun was barely able to suppress his anger anymore.
“What did you say?!”
Su Qingyu pretended not to notice the fury rising in his voice. Instead, he turned toward Sheng Xun’s friends and tilted his head slightly. Under the bar’s shifting lights, his peach blossom eyes shimmered with a hazy, wine colored glow.
“Do you all think I look like someone who learns classical dance?”
“Classical dance? Hahaha, I don’t even know what classical dance is. I can do street dance, though.”
“Jazz, definitely jazz. You’d be perfect for jazz dancing!”
“I don’t know much about dance but I think you’d be really suited to an idol’s stage. You’d definitely have incredible stage presence.”
The people around them began talking over one another, their voices overlapping as they shared their opinions.
With every word, the image of Jiang Chu in their minds slowly became clearer and more vivid. It was an image that was gradually gaining depth and definition but it was absolutely not the one Sheng Xun wanted them to believe in.
Sheng Xun was practically unable to remain seated. He was desperate to stop everything before it went any further.
“Stop talking nonsense! How could you not be learning classical dance?”
It was true that Sheng Xun hadn’t accompanied Jiang Chu to every single dance lesson. However, he had gone with him on the first day and when they paid the fees, they had clearly enrolled him in a classical dance class.
Thinking of that, he felt slightly more reassured. With a hint of threat in his voice, he continued, “Or what? Are you telling me you could be learning the kind of dancing people perform in nightclubs for everyone to watch?”
Su Qingyu had no intention of letting him feel comfortable.
Of all the things in the world, he hated seeing a scumbag feeling pleased with himself. The moment the man managed to relax even a little, Su Qingyu would make sure he spent the rest of the night suffering.
He smiled.
“That’s exactly right.”
He had even anticipated the scumbag’s words before they were spoken, leaving Sheng Xun with no room to argue.
“How about I dance a little for everyone?”
Sheng Xun stared at him in disbelief.
Throughout his relationship with Jiang Chu, Sheng Xun had gradually come to understand him better and better. He knew that Jiang Chu was somewhat insecure in this university and in this city and that he often struggled to let go and act freely.
When Sheng Xun had said those words just now, his intention had been to force Jiang Chu to shut up and admit that he was learning classical dance.
Jiang Chu was intelligent. He must have known that if he continued arguing, the others might start egging him on to dance in the bar. That was something he would never be able to bring himself to do.
Who could have imagined that….
He hadn’t even needed to say another word and Jiang Chu had taken the initiative to suggest dancing himself!
How could he possibly dance in a place like this?!
If he wanted to dance, he should have been dancing in a foreign country, on a square filled with white pigeons!
The surprise had come so suddenly that Sheng Xun’s friends naturally wanted to see him dance.
And it wasn’t just Sheng Xun’s friends. The people nearby also began applauding the moment they heard the suggestion.
Ever since this man had stepped into the bar, it had been difficult for many people to tear their eyes away from him. Even simply watching him was a feast for the eyes. If he started dancing, what would that look like?
Su Qingyu stood up.
He noticed Sheng Xun still staring at him in shock, his gaze fixed on his face.
Su Qingyu couldn’t help thinking that his face was still not interesting enough. It could still allow Sheng Xun to see the image of another person in it.
He walked over to one of the women sitting among them and bent down slightly to ask, “Miss, do you have an eyeliner pencil?”
The woman froze for a moment before nodding repeatedly. Without saying a word, she opened her bag and took out an eyeliner pencil for him. Only when she handed it over did she finally ask, “Are you going to draw eyeliner?”
“No, I just want to add a beauty mark beneath my eye.”
He paused, then asked, “Do you have a mirror?”
The woman rummaged through her bag.
“Ah! I forgot to bring a mirror!”
Su Qingyu thought for a moment before handing the eyeliner pencil to the man sitting beside her.
“Hello, could you help me draw a tear mole? Right here.”
The man, who hadn’t said much throughout the entire exchange, reached out and accepted the eyeliner pencil.
Su Qingyu leaned toward him and pointed to the outer corner of his right eye.
“Just put a little dot right here. Anywhere is fine.”
He wanted to ruin this clean, unblemished face.
He absolutely refused to let Sheng Xun see the image of his white moonlight ideal on his face.
The man silently pulled the cap off the eyeliner pencil. After hesitating for a moment, he carefully placed a small dot at the corner of Su Qingyu’s eye.
They were extremely close.
Close enough that it seemed possible to feel each other’s breath. Close enough that it felt as though the two of them had suddenly slipped into an entirely separate space, while the noise of the bar around them abruptly fell silent.
The man could see the incredibly fine, soft hairs on Su Qingyu’s face yet not a single pore was visible. He could clearly make out the extraordinary length of his lowered eyelashes.
The black pigment spread delicately across his pale, translucent skin.
Then Su Qingyu opened his eyes.
For the first second after he opened them, what appeared before the man was an utterly genuine version of him.
His beautiful peach blossom eyes resembled glazed jewels beneath the dazzling lights. They were at once clear and serene, deep and mysterious, holding a quiet, captivating allure that made them an irresistible place for the heart to linger.
By the time the man finally came to his senses, several people were staring at him.
And Su Qingyu had already walked toward the stage.
527 sounded a little nervous.
【Host, do you know how to dance? Actors might learn a little dancing when preparing for their roles, right?】
Su Qingyu: 【I might not have mentioned this to you before but I debuted as a trainee. I only became an actor because acting makes more money.】
【Back then, the owner of our company decided to sign me after seeing me perform pole dancing.】
He walked toward the pole standing at the very center of the stage.
527: 【…?】
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Their journey continues. Their coffee cup, however, does not.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 30 · Fengdu Underworld (1)Chapter 31 · Fengdu Underworld (2)Chapter 32 Part 1 · The Humble Young Master (1)Chapter 32 Part 2 · The Humble Young Master (1)Chapter 33 Part 1 · The Humble Young Master (2)Chapter 33 Part 2 · The Humble Young Master (2)Chapter 34 Part 1 · The Humble Young Master (3)Chapter 34 Part 2 · The Humble Young Master (3)Chapter 35 · The Humble Young Master (4)